Atsushi Tomita
|image = File:CFC10_Atsushi_Tomita_1999.png |imagewidth = 150px |caption = Atsushi Tomita, circa 1999 |Row 1 title = Occupation: |Row 1 info = Game designer |Row 2 title = Active years: |Row 2 info = 1994 - 2008 }} Atsushi Tomita ( ) is a video game designer formerly from Capcom, who worked as the primary designer in the first three games in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, Strider 2 and the Gundam Vs. series. He has also been credited under the pseudonyms "Otouto Tomita"Capcom (December 1994, Arcade). X-Men: Children of the Atom (English). Ending, Staff Roll and "Tomichin" ( ).Capcom (November 1995, Arcade). Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (English). Ending, Staff Roll Atsushi Tomita was the one responsible for Hiryu's inclusion in Marvel vs. Capcom, which brought the character back from obscurity and paved the way for Strider 2. Tomita later became designer in Strider 2 midway during production and up to its release, saving it from a particularly difficult development. Career Tomita joined Capcom circa 1994. His first works for the company were as assistant designer in the Marvel-licensed fighting games ''X-Men: Children of the Atom'' and ''Marvel Super Heroes'', working under his "mentors" Akira Nishitani and Takeshi Tezuka, respectively.Staff (October 25, 2014). "Creators File #164: Atsushi Tomita" (Japanese). Gpara.com. Retrieved from wayback.com. Accessed May 30, 2016 His first work as main designer was their 1996 pseudo-sequel, ''X-Men vs. Street Fighter''. Back at the time the game system created for Children of the Atom was looked down within the company and saw as a lost cause due to its atypical design, so Tomita decided to throw in any idea that worked to see "what he could do with this system". He introduced the tag mechanic to the game and laid the groundwork for the future Marvel vs. Capcom series. In his own words, Tomita aimed to create the best game he could make within the many restrictions he faced and as a result it became "a good game with some rough edges". He'd return as the main designer in the game's 1997 sequel, ''Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter'', which expanded Marvel's roster beyond the X-Men brand and introduced another of the series' gameplay standards: Assist attacks, the ability to summon the passive character to perform a quick special action. For the following sequel, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, the roster was expanded once again to include Capcom franchises beyond Street Fighter. Being a self-confessed fan of Strider from playing the Arcade game in his student yearsCapcom (2014). "Launch Celebration Comments from Past Special-A Class Striders". Capcom's official Strider site (Japanese). Retrieved November 04, 2015., Tomita was determined to ressurect Hiryu and this led to his inclusion in the game's roster. Hiryu became popular among gamers, specially in North AmericaCapcom (March 10, 2014). "Capcom Legends Chapter 3: The Running Ninja from the Future, Hiryu!" (Japanese). Capcom's official site. Accessed May 30, 2016, and this newfound popularity would eventually result in Strider 2 beginning production.Yamamoto, Setsuo; Yoneda, Etsuko (January 21, 2000). Strider Hiryû 2 Official Soundtrack. CD. Suleputer, CPCA-1035. Liner Notes, pg. 4-5. Tomita initially joined the staff of Strider 2 as an assistant designer midway through development, a sign that the game's development was in trouble. Tomita faced a lot of hardships producing the game, including being almost cancelled at one point, but he pushed forward determined to see it completed. The latter half of development was seemingly so difficult that Tomita has said his brain "rejects him" when he tries to remember itCapcom (1999). Capcom Secret File #26: Strider Hiryu 2 (Japanese). Pg. 8. Feeling responsible for the end result, he has also apologized to fans in several instances for any perceived shortcomingsCapcom (1999). Capcom Secret File #26: Strider Hiryu 2 (Japanese). Pg. 11. Although a difficult experience he didn't want to repeat, Tomita still considered it a valuable experience that let him learn a lot of things he could use in future projects. In 2003 Tomita developed Gotcha Force, which was the very first game he designed for home consoles instead of arcades, as well as the first original game he made without any previous installment or license, which meant he had to design it from scratch. It was a very rewarding experience without any design constrains and with an excellent staff, and as such Gotcha Force (alongside X-Men vs. Street Fighter) holds a special place in his memory. In the latter half of 2004 he hinted about an upcoming project he was working on alongside Capcom artist Kinu Nishimura, which was revealed in September 2005 to be an action game titled War of the Grail''Staff (September 2, 2005). "Capcom, War Action "War of the Grail" video published!". ''Gpara.com. Accessed May 30, 2016. This title, however, was cancelled the following year without notice. In his last years in Capcom, Tomita worked as designer in some of the entries in the Gundam Vs. series, a series he also helped establish as the designer of its first entry, ''Federation vs. Zeon''Capcom (December 2001, PlayStation). Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon (Japanese). Ending, Staff Roll. After leaving the company, Atsushi Tomita worked as Assistant Production Manager for several anime productions. "Person: Tomita, Atsushi". Anidb.net. Accessed May 30, 2016 Gameography References Category:Creators